PB man to be sentenced Jan. 31 in assaults on officer and former girlfriend

by
Neal PutnamSan Diego Community News Group

Jan 03, 2013 | 2537 views | 0 | 2 | |

A Pacific Beach man will be sentenced Jan. 31 after he pleaded guilty to injuring his then-girlfriend and assaulting a police officer by ramming his car into a patrol vehicle in Pacific Beach on Oct. 27.

Tommy Madriaga, 34, remains free on $100,000 bond on the condition he has no contact with the former girlfriend. The protective order also prohibits him from calling her or sending her emails, and Madriaga must stay at least 100 yards away from her, according to court records.

The prosecutor will not seek more than three years in state prison, although the maximum sentence is five years. San Diego Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren agreed to consider a sentence with probation and up to one year in jail.

The plea agreement also conveys the judge will consider a sentence of work furlough if Madriaga is eligible for it. Work-furlough sentences allow defendants to go to work during the day and remain locked up in a facility at night and on weekends.

Madriaga admitted he “inflicted corporal injury upon my girlfriend with whom I was cohabitating.” He also admitted he used his car to assault the police officer, whom the then-girlfriend was trying to get help from.

Halgren dismissed other counts that included vandalism, dissuading a witness, hit and run, and evading officers. The victim was reportedly choked and her head hit the dashboard inside Madriaga’s car after they left a party at 12:15 a.m. at a hotel.

The then-girlfriend saw a police officer at Loring and Lamont streets and ran for help, prompting Madriaga to ram the patrol car with his own vehicle. Officers located him at a motel in Pacific Beach.